Freedom
by SingingMisery
Summary: So this is what freedom tastes like. *Rated T for now*
1. Chapter 1

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

* * *

A pair of sad, sapphire eyes stared out at the sky from behind the steel bars of a dirty cage. An equally dirty boy shook his head sadly, trying to get himself comfortable. Which was difficult with two feathered appendages sticking out of his back. He sighed softly to himself. How terribly ironic. He had wings, yet he was still bound to stay on the ground. He had been a prisoner to a man named Sephiroth, a ringmaster to a twisted circus. The main attractions being rare beings infused with animal DNA. Cloud had been kidnapped from his family when he was eleven. Now at seventeen, he was slowly losing hope of ever getting free. He winced when his back, the part not covered by his wings, grazed the rough clothe of the sack he had been allowed. He had been beaten hard tonight, to appease the blood thirsty crowd gathered to see him. A large amount of people felt that these "animals" deserved to be locked up in zoos and circuses. It was illegal to imprison them, but as we all know, laws were made to be broken. Feeling miserable, Cloud turned over again. Only to be confronted with a pair of steel gray eyes.

Giving a startled cry, the blonde-haired boy scrambled back. The other being fell backwards, momentarily disappearing from sight. A few seconds the head popped back up. It was a boy, he looked a little older that Cloud. He had brunette hair that hung low over his eyes. A scar split his face, but he could still be considered handsome. He stared at Cloud for moment before breathing out,

"I didn't mean to scare you." He dug for something in his pocket before saying, "My name is Leon. I'm...here to save you." He took a jagged metal device from his pocket before jamming it in the keyhole. Cloud stood and watched with interest. He was shocked when the door swung open. Cloud stepped out tentatively. He was unsure if this was just a dream. Leon was looking at him, a sad smile on his face. A gentle wind blew, ruffling the blonde's feathery hair. He spun around with a soft laugh. So this is what freedom felt like. Suddenly remembering something, he grabbed Leon's arm.

"There are...two others. I promised I'd get them out if I could." Leon hesitated before nodded his approval. Cloud led his way to another pair of cages, his wings stretching out behind him. Leon glanced inside to see two boys. The boys looked normal enough; the only abnormality being furry ears and tails. They were clinging to each other, as if to protect each other from the harsh realities of life. Leon performed the same actions on the door, letting it swing open. The brunette boy sat up, rubbing at his blue eyes. His sleepy eyes snapped open when he saw the open door and Cloud.

"C-C-Cloud? What's...?" He couldn't finish the statement, instead reaching down to shake the blonde haired boy. Leon saw that they had identical looks, although the blonde had silvery black ears and tail, while the brunette had russet coloured fur. Cloud held out his arms and they both rushed forward to hug him. The older boy murmured soft words of comfort, trying to soothe the younger boys. Leon tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry to rush you, but we should go." Cloud nodded, he turned his attention to the two boys.

"Sora, Roxas. We're finally getting out."

Cloud watched Leon as the man silently led them to a waiting car. He still had no idea why this person was risking their life to save him. A small whimper behind him amended that statement in his brain. Risking his life to save them. Didn't he know what would happen if they got caught? When they reached 

the vehicle, Cloud could see that there were silhouettes of other people. The blonde took one last look at the place that had been his prison for six years. Leon opened the door, and with no hesitation Cloud, Sora, and Roxas got in.

There were two boys inside the car. The boy sitting in the front seat turned around. He had fiery red hair with expressive jade green eyes. Two scars shaped like upside down tear drops that looked like they had been carved into in his skin. A noise shifted his attention to another boy. He had silver hair and ice green eyes. He looked exactly like a younger version of... no, don't go there. This teen was here to help him. Cloud shifted so his wings were wrapped around himself, and not flapping in anyone's face, to slide into the car. Sora and Roxas climbed in next to him. The two younger boys were small enough to share a seat belt. Leon checked to make sure they were all comfortable, and then got into the driver's seat. He drove away at a moderate speed, while talking to the three people he just rescued.

"This is Axel," he pointed to the redhead, "and Riku." He pointed to the silver hair boy. "They wanted to help as well." Cloud nodded, stifling a yawn. "Axel, Riku this is Cloud, Sora, and Roxas." The two nodded their hellos. He felt the ground shift from crunching gravel to smooth road. He wanted to see where they were going, but was too tired to keep his eyes opened. Sora and Roxas had already fallen back asleep, tucked into Cloud's side. They viewed the older teen as a sort of protector. At fifteen, they trusted very little people after being sold into captivity by their family. Their mother had tried to protect them from this fate, but when she died; their father had immediately sold them to the highest bidder. Cloud frowned at this thought, weren't family supposed to protect their own flesh and blood? No matter how different they may be? He drifted in and out of sleep, waking when the car shifted or a particularly bright light hit his eyes. He heard Leon and Axel murmuring a conversation; an occasional word would reach his ears. He felt Riku was staring at him, an action that usually bothered him, but he could tell the stare was one of wonder and not horrified disgust. He lost track of how long the drive was, but they car finally stopped. A warm hand was placed on his bare forearm and he heard Leon's voice softly say, "We're here." Cloud opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw. The house was HUGE. It was what he imagined a mansion looked like. He turned to look at Leon,

"What does your family do for a living?" Leon smiled, stretching up and looking proud.

"My mom is the minister for the protection agency of mixed human races." Cloud's mouth dropped open. He of course heard about this agency, it was Sephiroth's adversary. They had cost the silver haired male a lot of money and business. Leon led Cloud up the walkway. Glancing behind him, Cloud smiled at the sight of Axel carrying a sleeping Roxas while Riku did the same for Sora. Cloud reached up and fiddled with his hair, if he was going to meet an important dignitary he should at least look presentable. But when Leon opened the door, he didn't expect a woman to immediately hug Leon to her chest. The same woman turned and gave Cloud an even bigger hug.

"You are welcome to stay here for aslong as you want." There was a pause and she added, "them too." Cloud guessed she meant Sora and Roxas. He felt tears prickle up in his eyes. This woman didn't even know him name and yet she was offering her home to him. Pulling back she smiled and said,

"My name is Tifa Lockheart. As I said, you are welcome to stay here. I have a room set up." She sent a disapproving glare at Leon, who looked slightly ashamed. "I was going to get them myself you know."

"Mom, I couldn't wait any longer. We decided it was better to do it unofficially. That way Sephiroth would never know. And, ergo, wouldn't escape again." Tifa looked angry for a moment, then sighed.

"Your right. I'm angry with you, but still you made me proud." She kissed Leon's forehead. She looked at Riku and Axel, snorting slightly. "Managed to rope you two into this as well, hmmm?" She sighed again. "We'll talk about this in the morning. Right now, it's late and I'm tired. I got a meeting tomorrow with an extreme mixed race group and I'm going to need all the patience I can get." Leon nodded, and led Cloud to a door. The room inside was large with simple furniture. Cloud flung himself down on the large bed Leon smiled softly at him.

"Sora and Roxas will be right next door. There is no set time you have to get up, so sleep as long as you want. That door leads to a bathroom. Ummm, I think that's it." The brunette walked over to the door, pausing to turn and say, "goodnight, Cloud." The winged blonde lay down on the soft bed, and fell asleep almost immediantly.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

**PlayfulSylph: Hey, I'm sorry I didn't elaborate. Sora and Roxas actually have cat eats and tails. Sorry about the confusion. Don't run me over.**

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Chapter Two

The sun shone through the window, hitting the closed eyes of Cloud. He sat up with a gasp, it was sunny out. Which meant it was morning and he was supposed to be up before... His inner panic ceased when the events of the night before. He didn't have to worry about getting up before sunrise. He smiled hugely, getting out of the bed and stretching. Someone had left a pile of towels and clothes for him. It took Cloud all of fifteen minutes to figure out how to work the controls of the shower to get the right temperature. First it was too hot, then too cold. Showering was an awkward feat. His wings prevented him from moving comfortably. Still, he managed to wash all the filth off of himself. After drying, he examined the clothes he had been given. The back of the t-shirt had two holes cut for his wings. He guessed it was some of Leon's old clothes. The pants fit him, but the shirt was too big. The blonde didn't care though; it was the most clothing he had been allowed in years. The door burst open and Roxas ran into the room, looking happy. He had been bathed as well, and was wearing new clothing. He smiled at Cloud and said,

"GUESS WHAT? WE WENT SHOPPING!" Cloud laughed slightly. For most people, this would be a trivial activity. But Roxas hadn't seen anything but the inside of the circus they were held captive in for years. The younger blonde continued, "Are you awake? Of course you are, duh. But Tifa says she wants to talk to us in the kitchen. They have a big kitchen. Did you see my clothes? Aren't they nice?" Cloud stared at Roxas before saying slowly.

"Roxas, did you...have anything?" Roxas looked thoughtful, titling his head to the side.

"Wellllllllllllllllllllllll, Axel let me have some of his drink. I don't know what it was called. It tasted bitter though." Cloud groaned. He had, of course, heard about coffee and the effects of caffeine. Roxas grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. The feline boy led him through the house to a kitchen. Tifa 

was there, as were Leon, Riku, Axel, and Sora. Cloud shyly took a plate of food that was offered to him, and sat down at the table. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he saw the food. It was simple, but good. Axel laughed at him,

"Slow down. You'll give yourself a stomach ache." Cloud blushed and murmured an apology. Axel responded, "It's okay. Just don't want you to get sick." Leon swallowed his food, before adding,

"I see you found the clothes I left." But to be honest, Leon's eyes hadn't left the blonde since he came into the kitchen. Cloud looked indescribably cute in the oversized clothes. Wait. Did he just think that? Leon was saved from any further thought by Tifa sitting down at the head of the table.

"Okay. You all probably have some questions. So...shoot." The three newcomers were silent for a moment before Sora broke it by saying,

"You keep on talking about mixed races. What are those exactly?"

"Mixed races are, not to be rude, people like you. Some people have a strand of animal DNA in them. This causes their offspring to have a mutation. You and Roxas, for instance, have cat ears and tails. Cloud has wings. Not that that is a bad thing." The woman paused when she saw the uncomfortable looks on the three boys. "Unfortunately with this mutation comes some backlash. As you know already. My job at the protection agency of mixed human races is to prevent this backlash from taking extreme measures. And to provide rescue and shelter to those who need it." Again, she paused to look at Sora, Roxas, and Cloud. "Sephiroth is the biggest voice. Unfortunately, he is also the wiliest. I've been trying to catch him for years. We have spies disguise themselves as audience members and take pictures. You, as the youngest, were a main priority to rescue. We have the evidence to imprison him. But just when we get wind of his whereabouts...POOF he's gone." Cloud felt a shiver of unease go up his back. Sephiroth was still out there. That didn't bode well for anyone. "We've contacted our sources; he'll probably show up in one of the surrounding cities." Riku was keeping an eye on Sora, the small brunette looked upset at the idea of their captor being free. He reached over and placed a hand on Sora's arm. The brunette gave him a watery smile and nodded in response to the unspoken question. "But enough of this gloomy subject," she turned to Cloud with a smile, "These two boys went shopping for new clothes and everything. I gave you some of Leon's old clothes, but we'll get you some that fit." The phone rang, interrupting the conversation. The woman hopped up to answer it. Her expression changed from cheerful to serious. She hung up the phone, and then turned to the boys at the table. Leon read the look on his mother's face,

"Something's happened." Tifa nodded and sighed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry guys; we'll have to do this shopping thing some other time." She grabbed her coat and keys, pausing to kiss Leon's forehead, and then ran out the door. Cloud looked at Leon, clearing his throat and looking uncomfortable.

"Do you mind me asking a personal question?" Leon looked at the blonde.

"Shoot." The blonde inhaled before saying,

"Is your mom...married or divorced or..." His voice trailed off. Cloud felt very weird asking his saviour such a question. Leon chewed on his food for a moment, before swallowing to answer.

"Technically, she's not my mother. I was adopted when I was two. My real name is Squall Leonhart. I just prefer to go by Leon. Her husband, my adoptive father, was killed on a mission gone badly." He paused, it was a painful memory. "Although they never caught the person, what little evidence there is points to Sephiroth." An awkward silence hung over the room. Axel broke it by saying,

"Hey let's watch a movie."

XXX

Meanwhile, Sephiroth himself sat in a dark room, contemplating the recent actions. He couldn't believe Cloud had the gall to escape, let alone take two other performers with him. He had gotten quite a lot of monetary offers for those three boys. Obviously he would have to get them back. He needed the money. He drummed his fingers along the wall, thinking. Coming to a decision, he reached over to grab his cell phone. Dialling a familiar number, he waited until a voice answered.

"Luxord, I got a job for you."

XXX

Axel had managed to herd everyone into the living room. He put on a comedy movie (10 Things I Hate About You) and made some snacks (he practically lived at Leon's house). What he didn't realize is that he, Riku, and Leon would have to explain pretty much every joke to Sora and Roxas. The three older boys had an enormous amount of patience. Riku however just about lost it when the two main characters started to kiss. Sora was extremely curious.

"Riku, what are they doing."

"Ummm...they are kissing Sora."

"What's a kiss?" Axel gave a barely concealed snort of laughter. Riku glared at him before continuing,

"A kiss is...a way of saying you like someone."

"Oh." There was a pause and then, "Will you kiss me, Riku?"

* * *

Wow, didn't expect people to like it this much. Thank you for the favorites/reviews/alerts. Much love to you all.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

* * *

Chapter Three

Leon and Cloud tried their best to stifle their laughter. Riku had had one hell of a time explaining to Sora just exactly a kiss entailed. Even then, the brunette wanted to know how it would feel. The two boys managed to escape to the hallway, where they were almost in tears from laughing so hard. When they calmed down, Cloud realized just how close he was to Leon. He unconsciously leaned forward, as did Leon. They were so close, and Cloud was so confused, he didn't know what was going to happen. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Axel burst into the room, looking around for a place to hide. Riku came barrelling right behind him. Cloud and Leon flew away from each other, clearing their throats and 

avoiding each other's eyes. Riku managed to catch Axel and leaped on the other boy, yelling bloody murder. There momentary awkwardness was forgotten as they tried to separate Leon's two best friends.

XXX

Tifa sat at her desk, going over the mounds and mounds of paperwork. She stopped for moment, hoping she could mentally set it on fire. Ergo, she would not be responsible and could go home. But the paper didn't spontaneously combust like she hoped it would. Scowling, she grabbed her pen and went back to her work. Only to be interrupted by a voice,

"Excuse me, Miss Lockheart?" Immediately alarm bells went off. Whoever this was knew she wasn't married. Which meant he (it was a male after all) had done research on her. She looked up at the newcomer. He was handsome, neatly trimmed blonde hair and beard. He would have been perfect, except for his eyes. His eyes were too blue, making you feel as if he could read your mind. He stepped into the room, giving her a smile. She didn't like it. It was condescending. It was like he was saying, 'I'm so charming, all I have to do is smile and you'll do whatever I say.' He continued to smile and held out a card.

"Hello, my name is Luxord." His voice had a British accent to it. A silence followed. Alarm bells were now increasing in volume. No last name and no explanation of why he was here. Tifa took the offered card and read the contents. She raised an eyebrow. 'Oh Hell no.'

"Private investigator?" Oh this was too rich. Luxord nodded and pulled out some pieces of paper.

"A certain benefactor is helping the families of these three boys make sure they get home safely.

"Oh? And who is this benefactor?"

"I cannot tell you that. He wishes to remain anonymous." Tifa took the offered pictures, keeping her features schooled to blandness when she saw they were of Sora, Roxas, and Cloud. She flipped through them before saying with a shrug,

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I haven't seen them. We help hundreds of people like them every week. I can't remember every face that passes here." She neatly stacked the photos and handed them back to Luxord. Who looked slightly angry. He leaned slowly towards Tifa.

"I think you do indeed know where these boys are. And I think it would be in your best interest to tell me where they are." Internally, Tifa rolled her eyes.

"And I think it would be in your best interest to leave. I will inform security and if you come here again, I'll have you arrested for harassment." The blonde man looked slightly ruffled. He shot one final look as he vacated the office,

"This isn't over." The woman sighed. Of course it isn't.

XXX

"Okay Cloud. Can I ask _you_ a question now?" The afore mentioned blonde looked up at Leon with a shy smile. They were in the kitchen again. Everyone had gone outside to play soccer. Cloud answered softly,

"Of course." Leon reached out and grazed the tip of Cloud's wing.

"Can you actually fly with these?" Cloud, instead of feeling uncomfortable, grinned fiercely.

"Of course I can." Leon cleared his throat and added,

"Can I see you?" Cloud looked surprised. After pausing for a second he nodded his approval. The two went into the main hallway. No matter how Leon tried to convince him, he wouldn't fly outside. The hallway had a high ceiling, which gave him a lot of room to manoeuvre. Cloud spread his wings and pumped them twice, lifting him of the ground. He had missed the rush of flying, had forgotten how much he liked it. Leon felt his small smile grow. Cloud looked so beautiful like this. He looked happy and peaceful at the same time. The brunette teen hoped he would be able to coax Cloud to fly outside. He laughed when the blonde did a series of acrobatic tricks, looping and twirling. Finally, he touched gracefully down to the ground. Leon applauded him, causing Cloud to blush. The two smiled at each other. Remembering the earlier awkwardness, Leon cleared his throat and said, "Do you want to go outside?"

Later they were all back inside, with Riku, Axel and Leon bringing the three rescued boys up to date on what was popular and what wasn't. Roxas, who had been surprisingly quiet all day, suddenly spoke up.

"Who is Paris Hilton?" Axel smirked, opening his mouth to answer. Only to be hit with a pillow from Leon.

"She is a celebrity. Her parents are rich so she is as well. And we, apparently, as guys are supposed to like her." The screen changed to a picture of Paris. With no underwear. Roxas said softly,

"If I'm supposed to like girls like her, I don't think I'll like girls at all." Now it was Riku's turn to laugh at Axel, who had started to choke on the Coke he was drinking.

XXX

It was late when Tifa got home. The woman came in to the living room, and smiled at the sight of nearly everyone asleep. Sora was using Riku as pillow; the silver haired boy had an arm wrapped protectively around the brunette even in sleep. Axel was half awake and lazily stroking Roxas's ears, causing the blonde to purr. Leon was also asleep, and Cloud was watching him with a smile. Tifa's own grin grew when she saw the smitten look on Cloud's face. Those two would be so cute together. Cloud blushed at being caught. Tifa beckoned him over; she had something important to say.

"Cloud, I have someone with me. When he heard you were with me he said he wasn't leaving. Cloud gulped nervously. Who could this be? Tifa left, only to return momentarily. The boy following her had messy blonde hair and sea green eyes. Cloud stared, momentarily struck dumb.

"Demyx? They told me you were dead!" The other blonde smiled sadly,

"No. I was worse then dead."

* * *

Yup. Demyx is in this story. I have no idea who I'm putting him with or what animal he is mixed with. Any suggestions? Again, thank you for the reviews/alerts/favorites. Much love to you all.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas XaldinxDemyx

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

AN: I hope this works for Demyx. I heap angst on him. sob I'll give him someone nice. Because, there is not nearly enough XaldinxDemyx out there. (is shot**)**

Warnings: mentions of rape, abuse, and in pain Demyx. waah!

* * *

Chapter Four

Cloud sat on the couch, an arm and a wing around Demyx. It was a shock to see his friend. The other blonde, who was his age, had been a member of the circus. He was a merman. Emphasis on was. Cloud let his eyes drift down to Demyx's legs. Cloud, Sora, and Roxas had been told that Demyx had died. In reality, he had been sold to a group of scientists for a high price. The poor teen was put through painful injections and even more painful operations to give him "normal" parts. The scientists showed little to no care for the pain that left Demyx in tears after his sedation wore off. And that wasn't the worst of it. One of them had taken a little too much interest in the blonde. Demyx explained, voice shaking with the effort, how he would give a certain injection that took away his movement, but left him very much awake.

"He would...do things to me. Tell me how much I wanted it. I didn't though, I swear I didn't." He buried his head in Cloud's shoulder, sobbing quietly. Tifa grabbed a box of Kleenex and handed it to the two teens. Cloud was shocked to feel tears running down his own face. Tifa cleared her throat,

"Demyx, I have to ask you one question. Did he...rape you?" When Demyx nodded, she stood up abruptly. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialled a number. "Hey, it's Tifa. Add another charge to those nutcases we caught today." She paused then added softly, "Sexual assault of a minor." She disconnected the call and looked at her newest charge. Technically, she wasn't supposed to shelter the people she helped. But Demyx was hurt, emotionally and physically. She didn't trust him with anyone else. Plus, his friends were here, which would help him. Cloud caught her attention with a slow jerk of his head. Tifa nodded, and Cloud stood up. Demyx looked up, his eyes still shining with tears. Cloud pulled him to his feet, taking care not to hit him with his wings. Moving slowly, the two blondes made their way to Cloud's room. The shorter of the two moved awkwardly on his new legs, exhaustion making his movements even more slow. Not even bothering to get undressed, Demyx lay down on the bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Cloud watched his friend sleep; Demyx looked so much younger and more vulnerable. It was a shock to see the former merman walking around instead of floating in a tank of water. He had been given slightly better care than the others, but still suffered. Cloud was struck out of his musings by a knock at the door. Leon stood there looking a little awkward. He stepped in, looking at Demyx.

"Another one, hmm?" His voice was good humoured and Cloud smiled slightly. Leon frowned when the smile didn't reach his blue eyes. Cloud shook his head slightly and gave a real smile.

"He's hogging all the blankets." Leon almost laughed at this. It was true; Demyx was twisted in the blankets. It was almost like he was shielding himself from the world. "I was going to sleep on the couch..." The brunette interrupted him.

"Why don't you take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch." The blonde shook his head.

"I couldn't do that! It's your room." Leon looked like was going to argue but instead said quietly,

"Why don't we both sleep in the bed." Cloud inhaled a lot sharper than he meant to. The idea of sleeping in the same bed with Leon made him hot and cold at the same time. He tried to think of an excuse and was shocked to find he didn't even want one. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The two remained silent even as the changed into their pyjamas. It took some time to get comfortable; Cloud had actually smacked Leon with one of his wings. Finally they lay in the bed and one by one drifted off to sleep.

Later, Leon woke up to find Cloud had wrapped his arms around him in the night. The brunette teen didn't even bother to adjust them. It felt too right.

Elsewhere in the house, Axel was sleeping, again, in one of the spare bedrooms. His mom worked a lot and felt better if her son was sleeping where he could have an eye kept on him for safety purposes. He was awoken by a small sniffle. Sitting up, he saw Roxas was standing at the door, twisting his tail in his hands. The blonde feline had been crying. He whispered to Axel,

"I had a bad dream. Can I... sleep here with you?" The redhead smiled softly, before pulling back the blankets. Roxas lay down and fell back to sleep, a look of unease on his face. The look melted away to one of peace when Axel leaned down to kiss his forehead.

XXX

The next morning, Tifa took everyone out shopping. Everyone that is, except Riku, to Sora's chagrin. The silver haired boy had to visit his grandmother, who was in the hospital. First they stopped to get Cloud and Demyx some much needed clothes. Cloud was apprehensive at first; he wasn't sure how this excursion would go. He relaxed when the clothing store they stopped at had a whole bunch of clothes designed specifically for those with wings. Leon's adoptive mother didn't spare any expense, proclaiming that the sky was the limit. Seeing no objection from the woman, Demyx and Cloud bought any apparel that the others told looked good on them. Cloud, especially, listened to Leon's opinion.

After wards, the group went to the grocery store. The rescued members were shocked to see that much food in one place. Demyx, especially, was interested. The former merman was doing alright, until he saw they were heading for the seafood section. Tifa understood why he wanted to leave, and instructed him to wait at the checkout for them. The blonde leaned against a candy display, feeling sick. He was startled by a deep voice,

"You okay, kid?" The blonde looked up to respond but was struck dumb by the man he saw standing there. He had black hair that was arranged in a style Axel had told him was called "dreadlocks." His blue eyes were piercing. He had one eyebrow raised and continued, "Saw you book it when you reached the fish there." His face became thoughtful, "Your one of those people, aren't you?" Demyx came out of his reverie at this.

"So what if I am? No need to make it sound so bad." The blonde felt anger rise in his throat. How dare this man pass judgement on him, and everyone like him! The burly man raised his hands in surrender.

"I didn't mean to offend you. Hell, one of my best friends is a wolf." Demyx blushed. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he mumbled softly.

"I'm sorry." The man shook his head, a smile on his face.

"No problem. Let's start this over. My name is Xaldin." He held out his hand. Demyx grasped it with a shy smile,

"My name is Demyx. It's nice to meet you." Xaldin nodded.

"You didn't answer my question." Demyx grew flustered, stammering out.

"I think I am. I used to have fins. But I...don't know?" The older male broke in,

"There is obviously a story here. You don't have to explain." Demyx nodded in relief. Hearing Cloud call his name he said, "I gotta go. Hopefully see you again...Xaldin." The raven haired man nodded with another smile.

"I hope so."

Xaldin watched the assembled group leave the store, his attention on Demyx. He honestly just wanted to wrap the blonde in his arms and never let go. He felt ridiculous for thinking this; it had been awhile since he had felt like that. Demyx was one of the first people to actually get slightly angry with him. Most people were intimated by his appearance. The younger male looked like he had been hurt in his life. This made him unexplainably angry. Sure, he might have just met Demyx, but he could tell the blonde was sweet. He turned with a snarl when someone clapped him on the shoulder. He relaxed when he saw it was Xigbar. True to his word, his friend did have the ears, teeth, and tail of a silver haired wolf. He laughed, baring his canine teeth.

"Relax man. Who was that cutie you were talking to?" Xaldin rolled his eyes. Xigbar also had the sex drive of a wolf. "Hey, I'm not saying I'm interested. I'm working on some else." Again, Xaldin rolled his eyes. Which brought them back to the reason they were in here in the first place. Said reason rounded the corner, a small smile on his face. That smile quickly disappeared when Xigbar's latest target spotted them. The teen gave a yelp and diverted down the nearest aisle. Xigbar followed him with a call of,

"Tidus, dearest. Don't be like that."

XXX

It was late again, Riku and Axel were both sleeping over. It was the summer months, so school wasn't worry. Roxas slept in Axel's room again. Demyx had his own room now, so Cloud was back in his. It was a little cold now. Sora couldn't sleep and was reading a book he had found. Then he heard footsteps down the hall. He frowned, they didn't sound like anyone's in the house. The small brunette had a habit of remembering footsteps, it was useful when the people who had power over you were coming to beat you for not moving fast enough. He listened intently, and then heard raised whispers. At first they were indistinguishable. Then,

"Just take the animal ones. That's all the boss wants." Sora went pale. He softly crept to the closet and hid there. He squeezed his eyes shut, keeping one hand over his mouth to stifle his harsh panting. The door opened and the same soft footsteps came in.

"No one's here." It was a different voice this time. Sora waited until the noise faded then crept out. Using the surprising stealth he had, the small brunette crept to Leon's room. Quickly shaking the teen awake, he stammered out,

"There's people here. I think they work for Sephiroth." Leon leapt up. How the hell did they get past the security system? Instructing Sora to stay in his room, Leon moved quickly. Waking Axel and Riku up, he explained what was going on. Roxas ran silently to Leon's room to hide with Sora. The three older boys were going about to find weapons when they heard a panicked scream. Which was cut short.

"Cloud!" Leon ran to the blonde's room, Axel and Riku in hot pursuit. Demyx was already there, fighting off one of three masked men. The other two were struggling with a fighting Cloud. Leon felt cold fury rise up and smashed the lamp he had found down on the arm of one of the attackers. With one arm free, Cloud turned his anger on his other attacker. With Leon's help, the two knocked him down. A small cut in the mask formed, and blood welled up. Breathlessly cursing, the unknown man got up and tried to punch Cloud. Leon shoved him out of the way, taking the hit. He fell with a cry. Cloud lashed out with one of his wings, striking the man in the face. Seeing they were outnumbered, the three masked attackers made their escape. All five of the teens tried to catch their respective breaths. The silence was broken by Leon, who said,

"I'll call the police."

* * *

AN: Why Xigbar and Tidus? Well, because I can. (evil laughter) (is shot) Again, thank you for reviews/alerts/favorites. Much love to you all.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas XaldinxDemyx

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

Warnings: There is boys kissing in this chapter. Turn back if this makes you angry. I use flames to roast marshmallows.

* * *

Chapter 5

The police came quickly, bringing the paramedics with them. None of the teens had serious injuries, all though Leon needed the cut on his forehead attended to. Tifa was called, but she was out in the field and didn't have her cell phone with her. After some searching, it was concluded that the attackers had cut the power to the house. This in turn, shut off the power. The police promised to put a guard detail on duty. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, everyone left. Cloud took advantage of the silence to slip outside to think. Leon soon followed after him. He intended to watch Cloud unnoticed, but when the blonde boy started to cry, he moved to stand next to him. He wrapped one arm around Cloud and asked,

"Please, don't cry?" The blue eyed boy looked up at him with a tearful smile. He hugged Leon backed slightly.

"This is all my fault." Leon shook his head. Seeing Cloud was going to argue, he said,

"If you are going to blame yourself, then your also blaming Roxas, Sora, Demyx..." he let his voice trail off. He felt guilty when Cloud looked horrified at this. He adverted his eyes to look at the ground, plucking at some grass. A long silence followed. Then, "I'm sorry Cloud." Leon leaned back, choosing his next words carefully. "It's just I'm angry. Not at you, at _them_." He paused, the rushed his words. "It's just 

when I saw you fighting with them, you looked so scared. I got angry, but scared that you were going to get hurt. Again. I...I don't want that to happen to you ever again." He hesitated before saying, "Cloud, I like you. I like you a lot." Leon squeezed his eyes shut, afraid that Cloud would be disgusted or worse, scared. He was shocked when he felt a pair of lips pressed to his cheek. He looked at Cloud, who was smiling shyly.

"I like you too, Leon. You know, in that way." The winged boy was smiling hugely now. Leon returned the smile and leaned forward to softly kiss Cloud. When Cloud sighed in pleasure, he deepened the kiss slightly. He didn't want to overwhelm the blonde. After what seemed like forever, but was really only a few minutes, the two broke off the kiss. They were grinning stupidly at each other, but were to giddy to care. Cloud wrapped his arms around Leon's neck and rested his head on Leon's shoulder. He broke the silence by saying, "Are you...my boyfriend now?" He blushed slightly. Leon smiled, blushing as well.

"I...I think so." This made Cloud happy. The two boys wrapped their arms around each other, content for now.

XXX

Luxord winced when he rotated his arm. That stupid brat had actually hit him, and made him bleed. He fingered the cut on his head, narrowing his eyes. Sephiroth had berated him for letting the kids free. He didn't really care. The silver-haired man didn't scare him, but the loss of the money he had been promised did. He glared at his business partners. If they could be called that. Saix and Xemnas were arguing over something petty, but Luxord already knew how it was going to end. In the bedroom, with both of them making a lot of noise. He wouldn't be surprised if Saix had a little canine in him. The blonde haired man rolled his eyes when Saix kissed Xemnas roughly. Both of them fumbled with each other's clothes before stumbling towards the bedroom, slamming the door behind them. Soon the tell-a-tale sounds of the head board slamming against the wall followed. Luxord took pleasure in the fact that he would have to wake them up early the next morning. They had some stalking to do.

XXX

Tifa came home later on, horrified at what had happened. She calmed down when she was informed that the police would put someone on guard detail. Whoever attacked them wasn't likely to do it again. Seeing ever one was exhausted, she sent them all to bed. She stood in the kitchen, trying to soothe her jangled nerves. She contemplated if she should get out of town for a while. Hearing a knock at the door, she cautiously went to answer it, looking through the peep hole before opening the door. Two uniformed police officers stood there. One could have easily been Axel's older brother. He had long red hair swept back into a ponytail. The other captured her attention and held it. He was taller than his companion with ruggedly good looks. His skin was dark and his eyes were concealed with a pair of sunglasses. He cleared his throat, holding out a badge.

"Good evening, miss. My name is Rude, this is my partner Reno." The red haired man gave a little wave. "We're just checking in to let you know were keeping an eye on everything." Tifa gave a little nod, still struck by how gorgeous this man was. _'Ask him in, ask him anything you idiot!_'

"Would you like some... um...coffee?" 'Oh yes, brilliant.' Rude smiled.

"Thank you for the offer, Miss..."

"It's Tifa. Tifa Lockheart." She interjected.

"Thank you for the offer, Tifa. But we should get back. I may take you up on that later though." He walked out quick enough to miss the blush on the woman's face. Reno sure didn't and he gave her smirk, silently laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him. '_Oh, that's mature_.' She crossed her eyes to glare at her forehead.

"Shut up brain."

XXX

The next day, everyone went downtown to explore. Leon and Cloud wandered off to do their own thing (and find a conveniently hidden spot to make out some more). Roxas and Sora, attracted by flashing lights and loud noises, found an arcade to play in. Riku and Axel followed them. Demyx, who got a headache from the all the chaos went outside to look around. The small blonde wiped his hands on his jeans. Even though it was warm out, he couldn't bring himself to wear shorts. The operations that were forced on him left numerous scars, and he was embarrassed. Making sure the arcade was still in his view, he wandered down the street. He was fascinated by the objects that lay in the windows. He soon turned down a dark alley. Before he could turn back to the street, he was seized from behind. A hand was clamped down on his mouth, not giving him a chance to scream. Acting on instinct, he bit down. His assailant snarled a curse. He was hurled into a wall, stunning him completely. Stars exploded behind his eyes and Demyx fell to the ground. He was dimly aware of yelling and moving around him. A motor started and he saw a van drive away. His vision was becoming narrower and narrower. Right before everything went black Xaldin leaned down to him, a look of concern on his face.

XXX

This isn't exactly how he planned to spend his day. He was only going to rent a movie so his evening wouldn't be so boring. He didn't expect to end up saving Demyx. He paced around the emergency room. The kid who with him were sitting down, looking miserable. He had to give some credit to the head nurse, who didn't even bat an eyelid at the feline parts or the wings. She calmly summoned a stretcher for Demyx and instructed them to sit and that she would immediately inform them of any progress. Xaldin sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chair and grabbed a months old copy of National Geographic. Definitely not how he planned to spend his day. He mentally made a note to be careful what you wish for. He had wanted to see Demyx again, but not like this. He eyed the other kids over the edge of the magazine. There was obviously a lot more to the picture. The blonde with the wings (Cloud? Was that his name?) clung to the brunette, tears in his eyes. The twins, Sora and Roxas, looked equally miserable, tails and ears drooped. He sighed, flipping the page of the magazine. He felt oddly left out.

XXX

After two hours, the same nurse from before came out. A professional looking doctor in a starched lab coat followed. Seeing Cloud he frowned and muttered something to the nurse before leaving the room. Xaldin snorted in disbelief. He had seen this sort of blatant discrimination before, but each time it still shocked him. Resisting the urge to go after him, he turned his attention to the nurse who was writing something in a clipboard. Roxas, after waiting piped up,

"Is Demyx okay?" The nurse raised her eyes to him, causing the blonde to blush. She smiled reassuringly.

"He's fine. A little bruised and shaken but otherwise fine. I've been in contact with your mother." She paused to point to Leon. "And she said she'll send someone to pick you up from here. I just need to finish some paperwork and you'll be free to go." Smiling again, she walked away. Demyx came down shortly after. True to the nurse's word, he was a little bruised. He assured everyone he was fine. Walking outside, they were all surprised to see a limo waiting for them. Xaldin tried to refuse a ride, but was convinced that it wouldn't be a problem. Demyx was happy when the older man sat by him, although he didn't know why.

XXX

Luxord ground his teeth, resisting the urge to scream into the phone. Sephiroth was pissed at the fact that he had, again, failed. Which was a little unfair, how was he supposed to know that kid had a knight in shining armour? The blonde haired man was determined to succeed now. It wasn't often he got angry, and even less often he got furious. But these targets had made him bleed. He wanted a chance to return the favour.

"Look, the fish one, what's his name, Demyx? He's got a boyfriend who could cause us some trouble." There was a pause and then silkily cruel voice said,

"Take him out."

* * *

AHHHH! XALDIN'S IN TROUBLE! (evil laughter) This is starting to get fun. Thank you again for favs/alerts/reviews. Much love to you all.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Freedom

Pairings: CloudxLeon Future SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas XaldinxDemyx

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

AN: This is kinda a filler chapter, but not at the same time.

* * *

Chapter 6

Xaldin sat at his kitchen table, trying frantically to get Xigbar's attention. His friend/roommate was deep in thought, which was extremely rare for the man. He was twirling his furry ear and staring out the window. Finally, Xaldin lost his patience and slapped him upside the head. Xigbar turned with a snarl, raising his own fist. When Xaldin didn't even flinch, he lowered it with a sigh. Xaldin looked at him with an eye brow raised,

"Talk to me." The wolf man sighed again.

"It's Tidus. I think, I'm going to give up." Xaldin tried to suppress a laugh. It didn't work and he fell off the chair. Xigbar glared at him. Climbing back onto the chair, he gasped out,

"I cannot believe it. You're actually giving up?" The other man shook his head.

"Usually, I would kill for less than that. But in this case, yeah, I'm giving up. I...actually like him." Xaldin looked at him,

"What a concept, Xiggy." The other man flipped him off. "Dating someone you actually like." He sighed looking serious. "Look, you don't have the best track record for being subtle. That kid probably isn't used to having someone hit on him. Do you actually know anything about him?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, what's his favourite color?"

"Blue."

"Favourite food?"

"Chicken quesadilla."

"Favourite sport?"

"Blitz ball" Xaldin looked at him incrediously.

"You have all this information about him, yet you waste your time on cheap lines. Look, try and talk to him as a person, not as an object." Xigbar looked thoughtful.

"You know, you might be on to something there. I'm going to try it. I'll see you later." Xaldin shook his head, laughing slightly when Xigbar tried to leave the house without his shoes on.

Later, Xaldin was doing the dishes from breakfast when from behind him came a PING! Turning slightly, he saw one of his glasses burst into shards. There was another PING, this time a plate was broken. _Fucking hell,_ he thought, _I'm being shot at!_ Ducking behind his couch, he had about two seconds of silence before all hell broke loose. Gunfire erupted, hitting everything in his apartment. Glass shattered, wood splintered and Formica cracked. He just closed his eyes and waited for it to end. Finally, it did. Above his ringing ears, Xaldin heard a van peeling out. Grabbing his phone to call the police, he had one resounding thought in his head.

_I am so not getting my security deposit back._

XXX

Tifa ran into the police station for the second time in a week, Demyx right behind her. Looking around, the two spotted Xaldin sitting at a desk. Demyx ran to him, hugging the man, who smiled down at him. Tifa cleared her throat.

"Are you the one who helped Demyx?"

"I am." The woman sighed,

"And in the process got your house shot up." Seeing the man about to argue, she raised a hand to stop him. "Look, you're a little older than my other borders. But, would you like to stay with us for awhile?"

"I couldn't do th-" Demyx piped up,

"Oh please, Xaldin! It will be so much fun. Please?" Xaldin looked into Demyx's big eyes and found he couldn't refuse, even if he wanted to.

"I accept then."

XXX

Tidus smiled as he placed the last box on the shelf. Standing up to brush his knees off, he glanced around. He stopped though when he saw Xigbar. The man looked slightly troubled. Thinking for a moment, he walked over to the canine male. Xigbar's eyes lit up when he saw him, but he still looked troubled. Tidus spoke first,

"I...got the flowers you sent me. I didn't think you knew I liked Daffodils." Xigbar smiled, his tail wagging slightly.

"I thought you would like them. Look, I wanna apologize if I been to forward. I didn't mean to pressure you." Tidus nodded,

"I accept your apology." The younger man hesitated then burst out, "Is everything okay? You look a little worried." Xigbar sighed,

"Believe it or not, I got my house shot up. I was going to stay at a hotel tonight." Tidus was quiet for a moment before saying,

"Why don't you come live with me for a while?" Seeing the shocked look on Xigbar's face, he sighed. "My roommate just moved out, and I have the space." The older man smirked slightly.

"Aren't you worried though?"

"Should I be?"

"Nah. They were aiming for ol' Medusa. Don't tell him I called him that." Tidus laughed, which was like music to Xigbar's ears. He hoped to make the younger man laugh a lot more.

XXX

Xaldin sat on the bed in his room, marvelling at the softness. He was glad Xigbar had found another place to stay; it meant his friend was out of danger for now. The burly man sighed, drumming an imaginary pattern. There was no doubt those bullets were meant for him. He knew he should be more afraid than this. But he had gotten involved protecting Demyx. And he was surprised to find that he would die to protect the blonde and his friends. He snorted with laugher. Imagine him, being the protective type. Hearing a knock at the door, he answered it to find Demyx standing there with a cup of hot chocolate. Suddenly, being a protector didn't seem so scary.

XXX

Tifa sat at the kitchen table, relaxing with a mug of her favourite tea. Looking up to see Rude coming up to the door, she stood with a smile. The dark skinned police officer gave her a smile in return, this time taking the offered drink. He sat down.

"My partner and I did a scan of the neighbourhood. Nothing suspicious to report, so I think your all safe for tonight." The man stretched and looked around. It was plain to see he was tired. But, he had a question he needed to ask. "Why do you shelter all these people?" When the woman looked saddened, he quickly said, "If I said the wrong thing..."

"No, it's okay. When I lost my husband, I went into a depression afterwards. I spent my time on the dead, when I should have taken care of the living. When I came home one day, I found Leon in tears. He felt like he had no one, that he was alone. After that day, I swore if I had the power to change it, no one would ever feel lonely again. These kids don't have anyone. I don't want to let them out into the world, to be alone again. It just...wouldn't be right." Rude nodded in understanding. Checking his watch, he rose up.

"I've got to go for now, but I'll check in again." Before leaving he paused to look at Tifa. "If you don't mind me saying, you're a remarkable woman, Miss Lock... I mean, Tifa."

* * *

ooooo, some interesting developments. Sorry about the long(ish) wait. I crushed three of my fingers in a folding chair (and fuck did it hurt) and the pain just went away. I was so upset that I couldn't type (Sob) Anyways thank you for the favs/reviews/alerts. Mucho amor (love) to you all.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Freedom

Pairings: Future CloudxLeon SoraxRiku AxelxRoxas

AN: This is what happens when you watch Monster House on pain killers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters mentioned. Damn.

Warnings: This contains Yaoi, which means two people of the male gender are kissing. Turn back if this offends. I use flames to light hairspray on fire. This is also a very angsty chapter.

* * *

Chapter 7

Leon lay down on his bed, with Cloud on top of him using him as a pillow. Both boys were silent and sleepy. Cloud rested his chin on Leon's chest, staring with wonder at the other boy's face. Reaching up with his hand, he ran it through the older boy's hair, savouring the silkiness. Leon gently caught his hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing each individual finger. He ran his other hand over Cloud's wing, causing the blonde to moan softly. He was surprised at the softness, but then again everything about Cloud was soft. His hair, skin, eyes and personality. The brunette smiled, knowing he probably looked like an idiot. He frowned though when Cloud looked suddenly sad, not meeting Leon's eyes. He slid his fingers underneath the smaller boy's chin, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"How can you touch me? I'm nothing but a freak." Cloud whispered, his voice breaking. Leon shook his head, leaning up to kiss Cloud again.

"No, you're not. You are an angel." He kissed any exposed skin he could find. He murmured soft words of comfort. All of the words didn't reach the blonde's ears, but the soothing tone of his voice did. A few tears slipped down his cheek. Suddenly tired, he fell asleep on Leon's chest. The brunette continued to stroke Cloud's hair, saddened by this turn of events. Did Cloud not see how amazing he was?

XXX

Reno and Rude sat in their police car, each equally silent. For the first time in a long time, the two friends couldn't find a safe topic to discuss. Finally, Rude cleared his throat, causing the redhead to look up with a look of hope.

"We need to talk." The redhead sighed softly. That was never good.

"About?" The bald headed man sighed.

"Tifa." Reno frowned.

"O...k?"

"I want to...start seeing her. You know, not in the professional sense." Reno smirked; he could see where this was going.

"So...go for it?" Rude looked at him, eye brow raised.

"Look, I know we tried once. Thank god we ended that relationship before we killed each other. Now Tifa is a sweet..." Rude growled in warning, causing Reno to switch the word he was going to use. "...Woman and I have no problems with you seeing her, you know not in the "professional" sense." He smiled at Rude. It was true. They had tried the dating thing. They both knew it would have never worked, yet they tried anyways. Rude was Reno's best friend and it was better it stayed that way.

"Thank you."

"Eh, we all know I'm amazing." Rude looked at him seriously.

"In all honestly, you are." Reno felt heat flame up on his cheeks.

"Yeah, well..."

XXX

Axel sat on the couch, absentmindedly running his fingers through Roxas's hair. A movie played in the background. Roxas had become quite addicted to the films. The redhead tilted his head, hearing and odd noise. The boy was...purring? Axel grinned slightly, then scratched behind the blonde's ear, drawing a 'mmmmmmmmm' of pleasure from the younger boy. Roxas had his head on Axel's lap, his blue eyes closed. He stopped for a moment, examining the teen. Feeling the scratching stop, Roxas opened his one of his eyes. Axel tried to smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Roxas sat up and gave the teen a look.

"What is it?" The redhead shook his head. Roxas grew angry.

"We're friends aren't we? You can tell me." At this Axel turned away.

"This is something you shouldn't know."

"Don't do this. I'm not some fragile thing that can't handle anything that is thrown at me." His tone changed slightly. "Please." It became almost pleading. "Please tell me. Don't shut me out." Green eyes meet cerulean ones. Axel squeezed his eyes shut. 'Here it goes...'

"Roxas, I like you. Like in the movies, like Cloud likes Leon." Now here is the part where Roxas ran off, stammering excuses. Only, that didn't happen. Roxas leaned forward and kissed Axel. It was awkward at first, but the two found a pattern and stuck to it. Afterwards, the two were panted heavily and Axel leaned against Roxas's forehead.

"Was it like the movies Axel?" His tone was hopeful and Axel melted. He kissed Roxas again.

"It was even better."

XXX

It was early evening and everyone had gathered in the kitchen. Tifa seemed to have something on her mind. Everything eventually quieted down and she cleared her throat.

"I was informed today that I have about six months of vacation time. I'm overdue for a holiday. I was thinking maybe we could all go to the beach. You know, stay in a nice beach house and everything. How does that sound?" This question was met with approval from everyone. Sora and Roxas were especially excited at the prospect of going to the ocean. One person however was not as excited as he should've been.

Later, Demyx sat in his room, dangling his legs of the side of the bed. He should be ecstatic about going to the sea. It's where he was originally from after all. But, his former home was also a symbol of death. His family had been murdered trying to protect him. In his nightmares he could still hear their dying screams. He brought his knees up to rest his chin. His was interrupted out of his musings by a knock at the door. Xaldin opened it and looked at him with interest.

"You okay? You looked depressed back there." The blonde shrugged, looking miserable. The older man sat down next to him, so close that the trailing end of one of his dreadlocks brushed up against Demyx's arm. "It helps some times to talk, you know." Demyx was shocked to feel tears well up in his eyes. Before he knew it, his story was spilling out. The murders, being put into the circus, being sold to scientists, the painful experiments and, worse of all, the rapes. By the end of it, he was sobbing, clinging to Xaldin's strong arm for support. The raven haired male hadn't said anything during all of this. Demyx was afraid he would be disgusted. Daring to look up, he was amazed to see tears in his eyes. He looked at Demyx and gruffly stated,

"I can't believe you went through all of that. It's not fair. No one should have to go through that. Least of all you." The blonde rested his head on Xaldin's chest, shaking from the after math of his crying jag. The two remained in silence, until Demyx softly intoned,

"That's why I only where jeans. I...would hate for people to look at me with disgust or pity in their eyes." Xaldin nodded in understanding. Taking a big risk he inhaled slightly,

"Then, can I see?" Demyx looked up at him, eyes wide. Not trusting himself to speak he nodded. Rolling up the oversized sweatpants he was wearing, he stretched out his legs and held his breath. Xaldin ran a hesitant hand over Demyx's leg, tracing out the map work of scars. Some of them were deep and looked 

like they would have been painful. He gently traced out the scarred tissue, fascinated by the contrast of his darker skin against Demyx's creamy white skin. The blonde teen was watching with equal fascination. No one had touched him with this amount of gentleness. It made him feel...almost precious. Like he was a fragile vase that needed to be handled with the utmost care. Their eyes met and a kiss ensued. Xaldin tasted like old leather and liquorice combined. The blonde tangled his fingers in Xaldin's hair, surprised by the softness and warmth. The older male broke off the kiss to pant, "For the record, I don't think they make you ugly." Demyx let out a soft tinkling of laughter.

XXX

Luxord leaned back on his chair, stunned at the fact that Saix had just come up with a good idea. He scanned through the pictures again, smoke from his cigar curling up to the ceiling. After a few minutes he sighed,

"It's a good idea." Xemnas grinned evilly.

"It'll take a few days to get it all together. That'll lull them into a false sense of security. They won't know what hit them." Luxord grinned an equally evil grin. He hadn't forgotten those brats made him bleed. It was now time to make THEM bleed.

* * *

Wow. Yeah, um...I don't know what to say. Its kind of sad and evil at the same time. Hmmm. Anyways thank you for reviews/alerts/favorites. Much love to you all.


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